Kerala spends maximum ‘out of pocket’ on healthcare

People in Kerala spend the maximum amount on medical facilities out of their own pockets followed by Punjab, according to a new report by the health ministry released on Tuesday.IANS | September 23, 2015, 08:39 IST

Government hospitals are cleaner and more orderly now.NEW DELHI: People in Kerala spend the maximum amount on medical facilities out of their own pockets followed by Punjab, according to a new report by the health ministry released on Tuesday.

The overall monthly per capita household "out-of-pocket" medical expenditure per month for rural areas in the country was Rs 95.18 and for urban areas, it was Rs 145.71, said the National Health Profile 2015 by the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence.

People in rural Kerala spend Rs 244 per month on health care and in urban areas, they spend Rs 275. The corresponding figures for Punjab are Rs 196 and Rs 197.

Only in India the healthcare financing is very small when compared to the financing by the other forces rather than the patient himself or herself paying out of pocket. Having 70-75% of the expenses as out-of-pocket, in my opinion, is not a right approach to managing healthcare in a country where the patients tend to sub-optimally purchase healthcare if he/she has to pay out-of-pocket.